IHSW - March 2014

I was so into adjusting the colors of my Mermaid's hair yesterday that I totally forgot to post my IHSW pictures.  I started this design a week ago Sunday, the Sea Goddess by Joan Elliott. On Saturday I had a glitch in my brain because I had lost the ability to count correctly and I ended up stitching and frogging her face about three times before I gave up and moved to her torso, which of course I ended up doing the same thing at least once before I could get it right. Finally everything started coming back together and I got that part done.  I then went back and stitched her face but then I had to decide, since I had changed the skin tone, what color to stitch her hair.  I with the help of my lovely daughter found the perfect shades of brown instead of the red in the chart.

Saturday night

Sunday night

This where I left off last night and it is now time to make more little xxs.  I want to thank you all for stopping by.

Wipocalypse- March 2014

This report will be one of the shortest ever for me I think. There were only a few pieces I've worked on this last month. Before going on vacation I was working on "Dare to be Daniel" here is my progress

 I started this piece on the plane to Disney and worked on it while in the hotel and on the plane coming home, it is "You Hungry?" this is where I left off.

I had to leave her to work on "Around the World in 80 Stitches" part 18

Up close

Total picture

Also there were my March Calendar Girl and March Cake.

Last but not least my "stitch-i-tis" flared up and I had to start a new design for a little relief, here is the "Sea Goddess" from Joan Elliott. It is being stitched on a 28ct Jobelan called Babbling Brook with DMC floss, there will also be Kreinik and beads.

Start

Right now

Well this post wasn't as short as I had originally thought, I guess when the stitching is so much fun  time flies.  Thanks for stopping by and appreciate the comments so much. Going to makes some xxs.
I almost forgot, this months topic was "Show us your favorite place to stitch."
Here you go:

A bonus one of me hard at work.

Clue Revealed...

The clue in the last picture was Minnie Mouse, yes we had again gone to Disney. It is the only place on earth that I can find all kinds of stuff with my name on it already. I love it!
 Here is my first try at a selfie.

Even the rain at Disney is fun, you get to wear Mickey Mouse ponchos! 

We started calling this No-Splash Mountain, it was dry! They were working on it, so no splash indeed. I did get to ride the train at Thunder Mountain, wohoo what a ride!  

We visited Animal Kingdom and this big fella was lounging and soaking up the warm sunshine.

And of course Woody made me feel like a true nature explorer. We have the same hats.

 This was another great trip, it's a shame we don't have little ones to go with, but acting like a kid is just as good.

 I did get to do a little stitching, mostly on the plane rides there and back. This design was originally a painting done by an artist named Annie Lee. Her pieces have also been made into figurines of which I have several (see tab above). This one is call "You Hungery?"  Here's the figurine and the picture of what it should look like.

And this is what I have done so far.

It's being stitched on a 28 ct evenweave from M.C.G. Textiles (which looks like a painting canvas) with DMC flosses, some are blended for texture and shading.  This is the only one of her pieces done into a cross stitch chart.  I would love to do more designs and match them up with the figurines I have. 

Well that's about all for now, thank you  for stopping by. I need to go and make some wonderful little xxs.

I'm Late, I'm Late, I'm Late!

There is a clue in this picture. What could it be? Also here is my March TUSAL.

This is exciting...

Who wouldn't be interested in this news, it’s a floss give away from Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe, if you enter by commenting on her blog let her know who sent you. The drawing will be March 10^th.  Today is the beginning of IHSW for February, click here 

to see what all the excitement is about. Then get your stash in order and enjoy stitching the weekend away. Part of my IHSW will be spent at In-Stitches my LNS enjoying a winter lock-in, with some good stitchy friends.  One of the big buzzes around In-Stitches lately is the registering of pieces for the annual Woodlawn Needlework Show starting March 1st thru the 31^st. Maybe one day I will be brave enough to enter something, but not this year.

Since my last post I stitched in the feathers on my “Dream Catcher” by Joan Elliott, I still have the border to do and then I can check off another finish for the year.

I started and completed “February Calendar Girl” from Little House Needleworks.

These are so cute I can hardly wait to get the one for March.

I couldn’t help myself and had to start on “Dare to be Daniel” from Silver Creek Samplers, it is gorgeous.

I’m stitching it on 32 ct Lamb’s wool linen with recommended threads.

Last week I had a big dose of retail therapy, my lovely mailman brought me these gorgeous charts from Joan Elliott they are “The Little Stitching Fairy”, “Rainbow Trail” and “Spirit of the Season” and

I saw this beauty and had to have it, it’s “A Welcome Spot” from Papillon Creations.

It has specialty stitches, oh goody, goody!

That’s about it for now, time to make more wonderful little xxs. Thanks for stopping by for a visit and welcome if this is your first time here.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

I am taking part in Jo's "Secret Stitching Sweetheart" blog hop and this is the lovely heart I received.  Please, please will the stitcher reveal yourself, you do beautiful work. To see all of the hearts visit Jo at "Serendipitous Stitching"

This is also February's Wipocalypse, to learn more about what that is click here.  This year there are topics. I missed January's but here's a small intro: My name is Minnie, I'm retired, living in an empty nest. Hubby still works so I have plenty of stitching time.  February's topic is "How many projects are you generally comfortable having in progress at a time?  My answer is 11, because that is what I have  right now. They are: Africa, Rose Sampler, Year of Cakes, Thine is the Trick and the Treat, Idelia Mae Rich, Around the World in 80 Stitches, Turtles All the Way Down, Three Kimonos, Calendar Girls, Southwest Stitches, and last but not least Tranquil Seas (a recent start).
 I don't have a regular schedule that I stitch by except the monthly ones: LHN Calendar Girls this will be my next start and I hope to have it finished by the end of this month, Around the World in 80 Stitches- the chart of February isn't available for download yet, Year of Cake for February is done and I finally have a picture to show.

This one is a delicious looking cupcake with candy hearts and sprinkles. With the other projects  I just pick-up what I think needs a little attention and work on it for a while.  Here are the ones that have gotten the most recent attention.

Dreamcatcher

This is part of Southwest Stitches. And my latest start "Tranquil Seas" from the April issue of Cross Stitch Gold, stitched on 25ct Wedgewood Lugana with DMC 156, 157, 798, 4020 and Gumnut Yarns silk "Star".

Well there you have it for this post, I'm off to make some more wonderful little xxs. Thanks you for visiting and hopefully leaving some encouraging comments.  To everybody snowed in on the east coast stay safe and warm and to the friends across the big old pond I hope you can keep your feet dry.

1st TUSAL fo 2014 and more...

Some would say I've been a little busy, I guess that's a possibility. Mr Jenkins says so too as he presents my TUSAL for January 2014. If you need to know more, go back and click on tusal or click on the button on the right hand side.

So far I've I have 8 finishes for the year, I promised myself that I would work on more smalls. The latest finishes are "Native Dress" and "Cowboy Hat" both from Joan Elliott's leaflet Southwest Stitches.

I also finished beading my January cake from Brooke Books Publications.

Last but not least I completed the 17th part of Papillon Creations "Around the World in 80 Stitches".

I guess Mr. Jenkins was right there was a lot of stitching going on around here this last month. Well with the "Polar Vortex" showing up every week what's a person to do? "STITCH!!!"  

Until next time everybody stay warm and safe. Thank you to all of my lovely followers I love your comments, now to make some more wonderful little xxs.

1st IHSW of 2014

I didn't do as much stitching as I had planned, I worked on my January cake from Brooke Books Publications stitched on 18 ct off white Aida with DCM floss. I finished the stitching and started adding the beads.

I finished stitching the first in a new series from Little House Needleworks called Calendar Girls. Here is my January.

She hasn't been pressed that why she's standing a little lopsided. I'm thinking of making the series into small pillows or flat ornaments. Last night I started this little design from Joan Elliott's Southwest Stitches leaflet, it's called Native Dress.

This one is also from the same leaflet by Joan Elliott and it is called the Pottery Maker.

They are all so colorful and easy to stitch, this one was done between this post and my last. Well back I go to making those little xxs. Thanks for stopping by.

Three Finishes and...

A little progress. Yes so far this year I have finished two hearts

free Blackwork from Ajusau Press

Keep-Love by Shepherd's Bush

 and another free Facebook SAL. This one is the English version of "Positive Thinking" from Les Marottes de Nathalie, it was presented in several parts and in several languages.  It is based on a poem by Norman Vincent Peale.

I stitched this on 18ct off white Aida with DMC floss.
The progress I was referring to is on my Joan Elliott design "Africa". I almost completed the large basket on the lower right hand side but of course I ran out of one color last night and it was too late and too cold to go out to pick-up more.

I may have to make a supply run while at least the sun is still shining today.
Well my trip to Micheal's was a bust. They have gotten very lacks in the refilling their DMC racks lately, I'll have to go somewhere else for the color I need.
I also have progress on an Ink Circles design "Turtles All the Way Down".

Believe it or not this is only about half done there are seven more turtles to go. Since I couldn't keep going on  "Africa" I picked up "Idelia Mae Rich" and gave her a little attention.

If you remember this is the design where the head is made of paper and is glued on after all the stitching is done and it's ready for framing. This one seems to take forever since it is being stitched on 36 ct Vintage buttercreme linen. 

Well that's it for now and I am getting the itch for a new start, so I'll be on the search through my stash. As soon as I have something new to show I'll be back.  Thanks for stopping by and staying til the end. Got to makes more xxs.

Now that the holidays are over...

I can maybe get back on track here with my blog.  I have a TUSAL to share, it contains only the threads from the work on Africa.

I had emptied it on New Year's Eve and I didn't realize that it was that close to TUSAL time. To find out what TUSAL is all about click here on the icon to the right.

I do have a first finish for 2014, it is a free Black-work design by Valentina Sardu from Ajisai Press. I used a scrap of linen (I don't know what kind) but it's 30ct and the color is Cherry Vanilla. The plan is for a ornament type finish (but who knows).

Thank you all for stopping by and please do leave a comment. I'm off to make some more wonderful little xxs.